Washington

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday officially opened NATO's Washington Summit on Tuesday. He pledged to forcefully defend Ukraine against Russia's invasion and announced a "historic donation" of critical new air defence capabilities to bolster Kyiv's fight against Russia. At the back of it all were his efforts to try and convince everyone that he was fit to run for president and lead the country for another four years. 

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"Putin wants nothing less -- nothing less than Ukraine's total subjugation, to end Ukraine's democracy, to destroy Ukraine's culture and to wipe Ukraine off the map and we know Putin won't stop at Ukraine," Biden declared. "But make no mistake Ukraine can and will stop Putin."

Biden announced an additional Patriot air defence system for Ukraine. Two new Patriot systems are already being given by Germany and Romania, and the Netherlands is putting together another one using parts provided by allies. 

The air defences "will help to protect Ukrainian cities, civilians, and soldiers," Biden said in a joint statement with other leaders.

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Additional strategic air defence systems are expected to be announced this year.

Zelensky had earlier stressed the need for a minimum of seven Patriot systems and will meet Biden on Thursday.

"We are fighting for additional security guarantees for Ukraine - and these are weapons and finances, political support," he said on social media.

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"The United States will make sure that when we export critical air defense interceptors, Ukraine goes to the front of the line. They will get this assistance before anyone else gets it," Biden declared. "All told, Ukraine will receive hundreds of additional interceptors over the next year, helping protect Ukrainian cities against Russian missiles."

Notably, Moscow struck a children's hospital in Kyiv on Monday, and Zelensky said 43 people were killed across his country in a barrage of strikes that day. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken lauded the NATO summit and said that it would "further strengthen" Kyiv's path to NATO membership. 

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg further urged member countries to continue to back Kyiv, warning that a Russian win will be the "greatest risk" for NATO.

Also Read: American intelligence reveals Russia still prefers Trump as President. Here's why

Biden tries to quieten noise around his health

Biden has been facing a barrage of questions over his health as several Democrats and campaign donors fear that he will lose the Nov 5 election to Donald Trump. The presidential debate on June 27 saw Biden falter and lose his train of thought several times. There have been calls for him to step down, but Biden has maintained that he is fit to run for president and is not going to quit. 

At the NATO summit, Biden spoke off of a teleprompter and managed to avoid verbal flubs and signs of confusion.

The winner of the November elections will wield considerable influence over NATO. Donald Trump has been critical of giving financial aid to Ukraine for its war against Russia. He has also challenged allies with an "America First" approach and suggested if he wins, he would not defend NATO members if they came under military attack and did not meet the alliance's defence spending target of 2% of their annual GDP.